Sunday, June 1, 2014

I thought I'd create a list of all of the players previously drafted (or acquired via trade or free agency) by the Lincoln Stars who could be at the 2014 tryout camp next week in Minneapolis, MN. Some of these players were just drafted by the Stars last month, while some others were drafted in 2013, or 2012, and have been previously protected by the team. This list does not include players who suited up for at least 10 games for the Stars last season. I will post a different article soon and mention the players from last season who could be at Ridder Arena next week trying out for the Stars.

This particular blog article is VERY long. I didn't want to hog the entire page of the website with this lone post, so click the "Read more" link below to check it out. Thanks.

Tyler Augustinsen (’97) - Forward - 6’0”, 185 pounds - Indiana Ice Dispersal Draft Pick
A native of West Hartford, CT, Augustinsen was originally selected by the Indiana Ice in the 18th round of the 2013 USHL Entry Draft. Last season, Tyler played for the Selects Hockey Academy U16 program where he scored 28 points (11g, 17a) in 24 games played. Tyer just finished up his junior year at South Kent School in South Kent, CT. Tyler is undecided on a college.

Jack Badini ('98) - Forward - 5'11", 170 pounds - 2014 USHL Futures Draft Pick
The native of Greenwich, CT suited up for the Long Island Gulls U16 (AMHL) squad where he potted 35 points (15g, 20a) and 42 PIM's in 25 games played during the 2013-14 season. In 2012-13, Jack played for the Connecticut Oilers U16 team where he scored 51 points (28g, 23a) in 54 games played. Jack is undecided on a college.

Josh Bell ('97) - Forward - 5'10", 157 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
I could not find any information online that states where Bell is originally from, but last season he played for the St. Louis Blues AAA (MM) team that also produced Stars futures pick Tommy Nappier, and entry pick Ethan Stahlhuth. In 37 games for the Blues last season, Josh scored 30 points (17g, 13a) along with 20 PIM's. 7 of his 17 goals last season were game-winners. Bell is undecided on a college.

Austin Cho ('96) - Defenseman - 6'0", 175 pounds - USHL Entry Draft Pick
Cho is originally from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. In 52 games this past season for St. Andrews College private school in Aurora, Ontario, Cho put up a respectable 46 points (13g, 33a) along with 24 PIM's. Austin was selected by the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds in the 12th round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection draft. OHL scout Scott LaFortune said that Austin is a "good skater, smooth on his edges. Plays a safe and controlled game." Austin has committed to play college hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. Most college hockey websites I've seen indicate that Cho is set to arrive at RPI in the fall of 2016. So if he's interested in playing here, there's a possibility that Austin could play two seasons for the Stars.

A.J. DiCesare ('98) - Defensemen - 6'1", 200 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
DiCesare calls Morristown, New Jersey home and in 2013-14, he suited up for the New Jersey Rockets U19 program where he scored 4 points (all assists) and added 22 PIM's in 40 games played. At 6'1" and 200 pounds, DiCesare is a monster at such a young age (born in 1998). Just looking at the stats on paper, A.J. certainly comes across to me as a big, shut-down defensemen. I'm not sure if he's ready to make the jump to the USHL this fall, but A.J. is definitely a kid to keep your eye on. DiCesare is undecided on a college.

Nathan Dingmann ('96) - Forward - 6'3", 175 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Dingmann just finished his junior season at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, MN. In 25 games last season for the Trojans, Nathan potted 10 points (4g, 6a) along with 11 PIM's. Other than his high school stats, I really wasn't able to find much about Dingmannn online. So if you have something you'd think the readers here would be interested in, please let me know. Dingmann is undecided on a college.

Casey Dornbach ('97) - Forward - 5'9", 150 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Casey comes from Edina, MN where last season he played for Edina High School. In 32 games last season for the Hornets as a sophomore, Casey scored 11 points (7g, 4a) and added 9 PIM's. Edina HS is a popular place among former Lincoln draft picks. Over the past few years, the Stars have drafted Edina players such as Louie Nanne, Tyler Nanne, Jack Walker, Miguel Fidler, and now Casey Dornbach. Unfortunately, Tyler Nanne is the only player listed above to ever wear a Lincoln Stars uniform, and that was for two games. However, it sounds like Miguel Fidler will play for the Stars next season, and hopefully Casey will follow suit in the next couple of years. Dornbach is undecided on a college.

Colton Fletcher ('97) - Forward - 6'1", 180 pounds - 2013 USHL Futures Draft Pick
Colton split time with the Omaha AAA U16 and U18 programs last season. With the U16's, Colton scored 16 points (6g, 10a) in 28 games played, along with 64 PIM's. It's with the U18 program that Colton really shined, with 44 points (24g, 20a) in 45 games played. In those 45 games with the U18's, Fletcher was +24 and accumulated 48 PIM's. Fletcher is originally from Wasilla, AK which is the same hometown of former Stars forward Matt Friese. The Omaha AAA hockey program, run by former NHL'er David Wilkie, is an extremely well respected program, so I'm sure Fletcher benefited greatly last season by playing with their U16 and U18 teams. Colton is undecided on a college.

Michael Floodstrand ('97) - Forward - 5'9", 152 pounds - 2013 USHL Futures Draft Pick
Floodstrand was a late addition (after the Stars drafted him) to the NTDP program last year, so he spent the 2013-14 season with the Team USA U17 program. Floodstrand will likely play the 2014-15 season with Team USA U18 team before going to Harvard University for the 2015-16 season. So unfortunately, I doubt we will ever see Floodstrand in a Stars uniform. This is a similar situation that the Stars dealt with a few years ago with forward Sean Malone (who oddly also ended up at Harvard). Malone was selected by Lincoln in the 2011 Futures Draft, but was a late add to the NTDP program before the 2012-13 season. It's disappointing that the NTDP program can poach USHL players like that, but I don't fault the player at all for choosing the NTDP.

Quin Foreman ('96) - Forward - 6'2", 182 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
In 36 games last season for the Boston Advantage MM team (the same team that 2014 first round entry draft pick Anthony Wyse played on), Foreman scored 35 points (17g, 18a) to go along with 6 PIM's. Quin has also committed to play his college hockey at Darmouth University. In the article I just linked, Foreman is described as having, "good vision, strong skill set, good playmaking ability, a knack for scoring and is slippery out of the corners for a big kid out there."

Ethen Frank ('98) - Forward - 6'0", 165 pounds - 2014 USHL Futures Draft Pick
I believe Frank is the second Nebraska native drafted by the Lincoln Stars (first was Matt Bruneteau) in the club's history. Ethen is originally from Omaha, and last season played for the highly regarded Omaha AAA U16 program. The stats included in the link above are incomplete, but I've been told that Ethen scored 79 points (25g, 54a) along with 104 PIM's in 74 games played. With the 104 PIM's, I assume Ethen plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and isn't afraid to mix it up. Frank was drafted in the 4th round of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft by the Victoria Royals. I'm not sure if he's ready next season to make the jump to the USHL, but he is certainly is a player who could be ready in 2015-16. Just recently, Ethen committed to play college hockey at Western Michigan University.

Cade Gleekel ('97) - Forward - 6'1", 182 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Cade is from Minneapolis and attended The Blake School (located in Minneapolis, MN) last season. In 25 games as a sophomore, Gleekel scored 52 points (25g, 27a) along with 36 PIM's. 10 of his 25 goals on the season came on the powerplay. On paper, Cade has pretty good size for a '97 sophomore. Gleekel is undecided on a college.

Corey Hoffman ('96) - Forward - 5'9", 165 pounds - Undrafted
Hoffman started the 2013-14 campaign with the USPHL's Jersey Hitmen before finishing the season with the EHL's New York Bobcats. In 25 games with the Hitmen, Corey scored 8 points (2g, 6a) in 25 games played. In 11 game3s with the Bobcats, Hoffman tallied 11 points (6g, 5a). Hoffman's addition to Lincoln's affiliate roster caught me by surprise since he was never drafted by Lincoln. This past February when the USHL published the most recent affiliate rosters for every team, Hoffman's name was listed as a protected player by the Stars. I honestly don't know much about Hoffman, so it will be interesting to see if he's at Lincoln's tryout camp next week. Corey has committed to Cornell University.

Luke Jaycox ('96) - Defenseman - 6'1", 185 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Jaycox is from Warroad, MN (aka Hockeytown) where he just completed his junior season at Warroad High School. In 27 games for the Warriors, Luke scored 27 points (4g, 23a) and added 33 PIM's. Luke's teammate at Warroard HS is Stars affiliate forward, and former futures pick, Jared Bethune. I had two separate scouts contact me about Jaycox after he was drafted by the Stars to say that Lincoln got a very good player. So that's encouraging. Jaycox is undecided on a college.

Evan Johnson ('97) - Forward - 5'10", 170 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Evan hails from Huntington Beach, California. In 34 games last season for the L.A. Jr. Kings MM squad, Johnson scored 36 points (19g, 17a) along with 24 PIM's. Evan was his team's second leading scorer behind forward Kailer Yamamoto, who was selected yesterday by Dubuque in the futures draft. Evan is undecided on a college.

Ryan Jones ('96) - Defenseman - 6'2", 185 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Ryan is originally from Crown Point, Indiana and I believe he played for the Indiana Jr. Ice U18 squad last season. I had a really tough time finding statistics online for the 2013-14 season for Ryan, but I was able to contact him on Twitter and he said that he had 11 goals and 14 assists last season for the Indiana Jr. Ice U18 team. I did see that Ryan also played one game for the NAHL's Minnesota Wilderness in late March. Jones is undecided on a college.

Tyler Jutting ('97) - Defenseman - 6'4", 190 pounds - 2013 USHL Futures Draft Pick
In 28 games last season for Mankato West High School (MN), Jutting scored 21 points (5g, 16a) along with 42 PIM's as a sophomore. Jutting was the only player the Stars selected last year in the Futures draft that did not attend the 2013 tryout camp in Minneapolis. I very much doubt Jutting will be in Lincoln next season as I would guess he'll finish out his high school career at Mankato West before considering the possibility of junior hockey. Tyler's father Troy is the assistant coach for the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. Tyler is undecided on a college.

James LaDouce ('95) - Defenseman - 5'10", 170 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
LaDouce is originally from Saginaw, Michigan. In 22 games last season for the Honeybaked U18 program, LaDouce scored 5 points (1g, 4a) and added 34 PIM's. In 2012, James played 11 games for the Amarillo Bulls of the NAHL where he scored 4 points (1g, 3a) and 20 PIM's. James is undecided on a college.

Cameron "Cam" Lee is a puck-moving defenseman who is originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Lee just finished his junior season at Northwood Prep School which is located in Lake Placid, NY. Cam was originally drafted by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the 4th round of the 2013 USHL Phase 1 (Futures) draft. Lee has committed to play college hockey at Providence College.Although he still has yet to play his senior season at Northwood, I've been told there's a good chance we'll see Lee in a Stars uniform this fall.

Grant Loven ('97) - Forward - 5'10", 165 pounds - 2013 USHL Futures Draft Pick
Loven, who played on the same East Grand Forks High School squad that Tye Ausmus played on last season, put up an impressive 41 points (15g, 26a) in 31 games as a sophomore. In the state championship game, Grant scored 4 points (1g, 3a), was +3, and scored the game-winning goal in EGF's 7-3 victory over Hermantown. Since he's still very young, I assume there's no hurry for Grant to play junior hockey, so I'm guessing he'll be back at East Grand Forks next season. Grant is undecided on a college.

Dominick Mersch ('98) - Forward - 6'0", 180 pounds - 2014 USHL Futures Draft Pick
As a member of the Chicago Mission U16 team last season, Mersch scored 24 points (11g, 13a) in 23 games to go along with 66 PIM's. Dominick has already committed to play college hockey at the University of Wisconsin, starting the fall of 2017. Dom's older brother Michael Mersch played four years at the University of Wisconsin and is a Los Angeles Kings draft pick. So good hockey genes abound in that family. Dominick describes his game as, "I'm not a 1-on-1 guy that's going to go out and beat a bunch of guys. But I'll get the dirty goals and I'm physical, have good vision and can make plays. I'm a blue-collar guy." My kind of player. OHL scout extraordinaire Scott LaFortune described Mersch as a "game breaking offensive forward with soft hands and good mobility." The SBNation article I linked above indicates that Dominick will likely spend another season in midget hockey, then two years in the USHL before enrolling at Wisconsin.

Tommy Nappier ('98) - Goaltender - 6'1", 170 pounds - 2014 USHL Futures Draft Pick
Nappier played for the St. Louis AAA Blues (midget major) program last year where he had an impressive 16-2-3 record with a 1.65 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. Stingy numbers, for sure. Goaltenders normally take some time to develop compared to forwards or defensemen, so I would expect to see Nappier in a Stars uniform in the next season or two, especially since he is still very young. Tommy is undecided on a college.

Joshua Owings ('96) - Defenseman - 6'4", 195 pounds - 2013 USHL Entry Draft Pick
In 25 games for the Wichita Falls Wildcats of the NAHL last season, Owings had 2 points (both assists), 20 PIM's and was -5. As one of the youngest players on the Wildcats team last season, Owings doesn't appear that he got a lot of playing time, but the experience of spending the entire season in the NAHL benefited Joshua's development, I'm sure. Owings was at Lincoln's tryout camp last year and I remember him being a big, lanky stay-at-home defenseman who looked like he could put on some weight. I'm anxious to see his improvement in person this June if he reports to Lincoln's tryout camp in Minneapolis. Joshua is undecided on a college.

Michael Prapavessis ('96) - Defenseman - 6'1", 170 pounds - 2012 USHL Futures Draft Pick
Michael is the younger brother of former Stars defenseman Matt Prapavessis. Michael is from Oakville, Ontario, Canada and played for the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) last season. In 47 games for the Patriots, Michael scored 55 points (5g, 50a) and accumulated only one minor penalty. Michael has committed to RPI, and I've been told he will begin there this fall. So unfortunately, it appears Michael will not play for the Stars. Tough loss for the Stars, for sure. I was hoping he'd play one year of USHL hockey before shipping off to RPI, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

William Scherer ('96) - Defenseman - 5'10", 187 pounds - Undrafted
William was a free agent invite at Lincoln's tryout camp in 2012, and performed well enough to make both camp all-star games, and then be protected by the Stars. At last year's camp, Scherer played well enough to make both camp all-star rosters again. In 46 games with the Springfield Jr. Blues (NAHL) this past season, William scored 6 points (all assists). Scherer is originally from St. Charles, MO, which happens to be the hometown of former Stars fan favorite, and current Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Bollig. I think William has a good shot at making Lincoln's roster in 2014-15, assuming he's at Lincoln's tryout camp this June. Scherer is undecided on a college.

Liam Schioler ('98) - Defenseman - 6'2", 195 pounds - 2014 USHL Futures Draft Pick
Schioler hails from West St. Paul, Manitoba, Canada. Last season, Liam played for the world-renowned Shattuck St. Mary's U16 program where he racked up 19 points (3g, 16a) and a whopping 102 PIM's in 68 games played. At 6'2", and close to 200 pounds, Liam has great size for a 16-year old. He obviously has some skill to go along with his big frame if he's playing hockey at Shattuck. Like Ethen Frank, Liam was also selected in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, going in the 2nd round to the Regina Pats. Here's a "profile prospect" video of Liam from the Regina Pats' website. Pats GM Chad Long: "Liam is a big body and a well built kid. He has a good skating stride, excellent agility and makes a good first pass.” Liam is undecided on a college.

Angus Scott ('97) - Forward - 6'2", 205 pounds - 2013 USHL Futures Draft Pick
In 44 games for the Notre Dame Hounds (Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League) last season, Angus put up an impressive 64 points (21g, 43a) to go along with 50 PIM's. After completing his season with the Hounds, Angus got a very small taste of the USHL when he was called up by the Stars and played three games in March. In those three contests, Angus scored 1 point (assist). The native of Salt Lake City, UT should be at Lincoln's tryout camp again this June fighting for a spot on next season's roster. Angus is undecided on a college.

Ethan Stahlhuth ('98) - Forward - 6'0", 201 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
In 37 games last season for the St. Louis Blues AAA (MM) program, Ethan scored 25 points (10g, 15a) and added 16 PIM's. 4 of his 10 goals were game-winners. As stated above in this article, Ethan was teammates last season with Stars draft picks Tommy Nappier (Futures draft) and Josh Bell (Entry draft). I've been told that Ethan is very aggressive with the puck, and should develop nicely into a power forward. At 6'0", 201 pounds as a '98, Ethan is already a good-sized 16-year old. Ethan's older brother Thomas is a former draft pick of the Des Moines Buccaneers. Stahlhuth is undecided on a college.

Troy Terry (’97) - Forward - 5’10”, 160 pounds - 2014 Indiana Ice Dispersal Draft Pick
A native of Highlands Ranch, CO, Terry was originally selected by the Indiana Ice in the 3rd round of the 2013 USHL Futures Draft. Last season, Troy played for the Colorado Thunderbirds U16 program where he scored 41 points (16g, 25a) in 31 games played. Terry has committed to play his college hockey at Denver University. Troy’s linemate with the U16 Thunderbirds last season was Brian Hawkinson, the younger brother of former Stars forward Brad Hawkinson. I’ve been told that Troy has a very good opportunity at making the Stars' roster in 2014-15.

Kyle Weller ('98) - Forward - 6'0", 155 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Kyle is from Langhorne, PA, which happens to be the same hometown as Lincoln draft pick, goaltender Peyton Jones. Last season, Kyle played for the Team Comcast MM team where he scored 14 points (7g, 7a) in 26 games played. Weller is undecided on a college.

Dylan Woolf ('96) - Defenseman - 6'2", 205 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Woolf hails from Victoria, Minnesota where he just finished up his senior season at Holy Family Catholic High School. In 27 games for the Holy Family "Fire" hockey team, Woolf racked up 31 points (6g, 25a) along with 56 PIM's. On paper, Woolf looks a lot like a big, rangy, rugged defenseman who can put up points when needed. Chris Wilks, who is the managing editor of the SBN College Hockey website, described Dylan as a "tough, physical defenseman who had a strong senior season." Considering the amount of defensemen the Stars lost last season, Woolf should be able to contribute right away in 2014-15. Woolf is undecided on a college.

Anthony Wyse ('96) - Defenseman - 6'3", 210 pounds - 2014 USHL Entry Draft Pick
Wyse is a big, rugged defenseman from Newton, Massachusetts. In 31 games last season for the Boston Advantage MM team, Wyse scored 27 points (7g, 20a) to go along with 18 PIM's. Three of his seven goals on the season were game-winners. Anthony has committed to play his college hockey at Dartmouth College. In the article I just linked, it states that Wyse will start at Dartmouth the fall of 2016, so there a possibility he could play up to two seasons in Lincoln if everything works out. In 2012, Anthony was selected by Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the 12th round of the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft. According to some of the scouting reports I've read online, Wyse is described as a big kid with above average skating, long reach, and very good hands. The "Hockey Scouting News" Twitter account described Anthony as a "big strong defenseman with a lot of skill for his size. Good skater with good vision." Considering he was Lincoln's first pick in this draft, and the fifth player taken overall, I assume GM Jon Hull and Head Coach Chris Hartsburg are counting on Anthony coming in next season and eating up a ton of minutes.